The Experience of Being Alive.

I’ve heard a lot of people go on about their journey in finding meaning or purpose in life. I’m one of them. It’s very rarely a bad endeavor to wrestle with the issue. My only concern is that it’s not actually the purpose of our lives this groaning is looking for. Is it our quest for meaning that drives us in our young age to travel the world, keep ipod’s in our ears, obsess over orgasms, or put a syringe in our arm? Is it a search for purpose that makes us in our older societal seasoned lives bury ourselves in work, sink our families in debt, or run to alcohol when vacations just don’t quite thrill us the way they use to? Is it meaning and purpose that cause us to give our money to a stranger on the streets, stir romance with our spouse, or ask God to show up in our everyday lives? I don’t think so. Take it or leave it, but I think it’s actually the experience of being and feeling alive we’re all consciously or subconsciously hoping to attain.

Here’s the tragedy: Far too often our “road runner culture” keeps us in cycles of pursuit, when, I believe, the very thing we’re questing for is right in front of us. If we could muster the courage to refuse the sexiness of speed and slow down, we might just find the “experience of being alive” is far more simple to obtain than our mentalities often convince us.

There are life-changing stories inside the people we walk past everyday. There are aromas that could literally change the way you feel about existence exuding from the world around you. There are everyday sights, pictures, and landscapes that can change your mood no matter how negative your thoughts tend to be. There are life-altering moments in the quiet and mundane everyday that have the power to significantly change us. Most of all, Holy Spirit is always speaking to and wanting to do life with us, but is rarely heard and experienced in our hustle and bustle. Sadly enough, often we’re just too busy or quick natured to experience these moments of being alive.

In my opinion, our society--and especially the church--is in urgent need to smell the roses. Of course there’s a certain speed of life that our jobs, families, responsibilities…etc demand of us, but time management isn't the point. When we begin to value “experiencing” life-and not simply hurrying through it just to reach the next deadline, goal, or thrill--- our default mode shifts. Our free time and moments go from staying busy…to…conversing with a stranger, spending more time with our families, processing the implications of our words and actions, simply doing more of what we love…etc. Our focus shifts from how much we can accomplish and produce in every moment of our day...to...how we can progress as an individual or in what way we can better love somebody. Our perception changes from time being a finite commodity with no minute to "waste"...to...life being seasonal and every moment worth enjoying. And when this default mode changes, it could just be enough to not only consistently give us the experience of feeling alive, but may just convince the world around us that life isn’t about vain pursuits...and in turn, prove that there IS meaning and purpose to be found on earth.